I have put a lot of work and research into getting my skin to where it is now. As you may remember from past skincare posts, my skin got wrecked with acne in 2016, seemingly out of nowhere. I was truly inept on how to handle it. This led me on a journey to remedy my skin.
Eight years later, I have my skincare routine down to a science. In addition to my go-to products, I’ve implemented several daily habits that have helped improve the skin on both my face and body (because why not have stunning skin everywhere?!). With all these micro habits I have cultivated for healthy skin, I am seriously petting myself all the time — I am so stinkin’ soft! At this point, I feel qualified to offer these nine healthy skin tips that will work for almost everyone…
Healthy Skin Tip #1: Drink Water
A good moisturizer alone won’t keep your skin hydrated — it’s trite but true, it starts from within! Drinking enough water is essential to maintaining the look of moisturized skin. When you’re dehydrated, your skin can become dry, dull, and even flaky. This is one of my favorite healthy skin tips because once you get in the habit of drinking water it’s a really easy way to keep your skin looking fresh — plus, you get all the additional benefits of being well-hydrated, like more energy, better digestion, and lubricated joints.
Just how much water should you be drinking daily? It varies depending on where you live, how active you are, and how much water you’re getting from eating things like fruits and vegetables. But generally speaking, Harvard Health recommends about 4-6 cups a day. I personally drink 4-5 jars of water a day (about 72 ounces), and Gwyneth Paltrow drinks 8 glasses a day. More on her later!
To ensure I drink enough water, I often have three water jars going in my house. One by my bed, one on the table by my couch, and one in my office. On top of that, I always make sure to have a full S’well water bottle in my car.
If you struggle to remember to drink water, I recommend setting a “Drink Water” alarm on your phone four times a day. Instead of using a regular alarm noise, select a song that makes you thirsty. Maybe it’s the sound of a babbling brook, or maybe it’s your favorite pop song right now.
Healthy Skin Tip 2: Cleanse
Find the cleansing routine that works for you and then stick to it. For Salma Hayek, it’s only cleansing at night. For one of my friends, it’s just splashing water on her face a few times a week. Others swear by the 60-second face-washing rule.
For me, it is washing my face morning and night. In the morning, I use water and Arbonne’s Agewell Silky Cleanser. At night, I remove my makeup with water first and then jojoba oil. After that, I apply the Arbonne cleanser to my wet, jojoba-oiled face. Once a month or so, I use Montarbo Advanced Exfoliating Cleanser for a deep cleanse.
Healthy Skin Tip 3: Quality Skincare
You must find quality skincare that works for your skin type. My primary skincare line is Montarbo Skincare, but I am always mixing and matching because my face is soooo darn picky. A key part of quality skincare is products that help hydrate your skin. Unfortunately, acne-prone skin like mine really struggles with “moisturizers” since they tend to break us out! So we find it best to get our moisture from hydrating serums, like the Montarbo Beauty Elixir. But I am excited to let you know that Epicuren Discovery Hydro Plus moisturizer doesn’t break me out!
When trying new products to find what works best for you, the key is to pay attention. Is your skin getting dry? Is it breaking you out? Are you getting more sunspots from using it? But don’t just pay attention to the negative. I’ve thought a product wasn’t doing much, only to stop using it and wonder why my face suddenly looks bad! You can even take pictures of your skin each day to help hone in on the differences.
Professional dermatologists and aestheticians always say to give a product time to work. “Results are only seen through consistent use,” Dr. Rachel Nazarian, a Manhattan dermatologist at Schweiger Dermatology Group, told the New York Times. She recommends using a product for at least six weeks to see if it works for you, but I am personally adamant about anything that breaks me out. The second a product causes me acne, it is off my list.
Healthy Skin Tip 4: Exfoliate!
Exfoliation is ESSENTIAL to healthy skin and I totally forgot this for a few months! I recently stopped using my Epicuren scrub on the daily, and rarely exfoliated my body. I started to look substantially haggard, and even began looking into lasers, experimental anti-aging drugs, and Botox, which I never thought I would use.
Thankfully, I went to an In goop Health retreat in Carlsbad last month and got to meet Gwyneth Paltrow. I am not exaggerating when I tell you she is take-your-breath-away GORGEOUS in person. I was so in awe of this 50-year-old beauty and her knockout legs, that I did a deep dive into her beauty regime from the past 10 years. The theme that kept coming was her obsession with exfoliation on her face and body. It inspired me to reenact my exfoliation habits with renewed vigor. Within 24 hours my entire body was refreshed, and it just keeps getting fresher and fresher every day. I am now staring at myself in awe!
For my face, I exfoliate my forehead and acne-prone cheek area every day with the Epicurean clay mask (it breaks out my chin for some reason so I skip that area). This is an amazing product for acne-prone skin that I have been using for over two years. If the Epicurean clay mask isn’t right for you, try using Gwyneth Paltrow’s Exfoliating Instant facial, or a muslin face cloth to remove your cleanser. Once a month, I do a powerful chemical exfoliation with Montarbo facial pads.
As for my body, I recently started dry brushing every other day. Holy healthy skin, Batman! My body looks so YOUNG again. This might be one of the most essential healthy skin tips. I recommend buying two brushes so you can put one in each hand and dry brush your legs and torso in record time.
Tip: Don’t dry brush your legs the same day you shave them. And always follow exfoliation with a high-quality serum, oil, or cream. This is a necessary step after exfoliation. For my face, I use Montarbo Beauty Elixir. For my body, my main cream is First Aid Beauty’s lotion, but as you read on you will see all the fun potions I use for random parts of my body.
Healthy Skin Tip 5: Diet
Scientific studies have looked at how an unhealthy diet can be damaging to your skin, while a healthy diet — one that is rich in antioxidants, protein, vegetables, nuts, and good water intake — can help repair damage and make you look fresher.
I had no idea how important my diet was to my skin until I changed it. If you want the best skin you can possibly have, you must limit sugar and processed foods, and my aesthetician, Cody Montarbo, says to limit dairy. These days I eat 80% organic, and focus on getting as much protein and fiber as possible. I eat a lot of eggs, chicken, hummus, white mushrooms, red bell pepper, onions, oatmeal, and ground turkey. My main carbs are sourdough bread, pita bread, locally made tortillas, and organic spaghetti imported from Italy (available at Trader Joe’s!).
Healthy Skin Tip 6: SPF
SPF is essential for every solid skincare regime. Most importantly, it helps prevent skin cancer caused by the UV rays from the sun. But it also helps prevent premature skin aging, such as wrinkles and sunspots.
I am a firm believer in wearing a moisturizing SPF every single day the sun is out. The only days I skip it are if it is pouring rain or on my 6 am walks in the winter. Experts recommend using sunscreen with an SPF of at least 30, and using it even if you’re working indoors because the sun’s UV rays still come in through the windows.
I am still using a stockpile of Montarbo sunscreen that is now discontinued, but my editor likes this Dermalogica moisturizer with SPF 50.
Healthy Skin Tip 7: Red Light Therapy
I am obsessed with my Joovv red light therapy panel. I’ve been using it since the end of 2021. When I am not traveling, I sit in front of it every single morning for 10 minutes. At first, I was specifically using the Mini 3.0 version for my breasts, but the results were so incredible I knew I needed to invest in the larger model. It’s the perfect size to sit comfortably in front of so that my face can also reap all the benefits of red light therapy. It absolutely tightens and refreshes the skin when you use it consistently like I have. It is a wonder!
Healthy Skin Tip 8: Collagen Peptide Supplements
Collagen is a protein that our bodies naturally produce by combining amino acids from everyday foods, like egg whites, citrus, and nuts. It provides support and strength to the skin (and other important organs and tissues), aiding in its elasticity. Without collagen, you get wrinkles, saggy skin, and the inability to retain moisture.
Unfortunately, we don’t always consume enough of the necessary foods, and the amount of collagen we produce declines as we age. This is why supplements, like Collagen Peptides from Vital Proteins (also available here), can really make a difference.
Drinking collagen every day is a serious game changer for healthy skin. I just put one scoop in my water every morning. I first heard about it years ago from J.Lo, who says it’s a key part of her skincare routine (and have you seen how flawless and glowy her skin is?!). Once I started using it, it only took a few days — maybe a week — before I noticed the results. Trust me, your skin will be BABY SOFT from this.
Healthy Skin Tip 9: Treat The Skin On Your Body Like Your Face
Generally speaking, I always recommend First Aid Beauty Ultra Repair Cream Intense Hydration for moisturizing your body. It’s super soothing and hydrating for my always-dry legs. But whenever I have a high-end serum or cream that doesn’t quite work on my face, I use it on my body. And oh my God, my body loves all and any quality serum or moisturizer. It eats it right up and glows with youth and moisture. Here is a list of all the various creams I use for the different parts of my body:
- Montarbo Hydration Mask (For my arms and neck — it doesn’t hydrate my legs enough.)
- Alitura Anti-Aging Moisturizer (This has just the right amount of moisture for my arms and legs.)
- Derma-E (For my feet — oh my god, what a difference! This is way better than any foot cream I have ever used.)
- Kiehl’s Midnight Recovery Serum (In my armpits! You might not think about moisturizing there, but I had noticed that my armpits were starting to get darker. Once I started moisturizing them with a serum after showering the darkness went away, and they just look, for lack of a better word, younger.)
- Switch 2 Pure Facial Oil (This is what I’m currently using for my breasts, but any quality serum will work well.)
- Andalou Naturals Goji Peptide Perfecting Cream (Also for my arms!)
Photos featuring me by Dayley Photography
